GROUP 9

CHANGING OF MEANING
ENGLISH SEMANTICS (A)

By:
Alifia Taati Ikhvan – 2010733001

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF HUMANITY
ANDALAS UNIVERSITY
2022
 Changing of Meaning

I. Semantics Change

The term semantic change refers to how the meaning of words changes over time; it

deals with changes in meanings or changes in the concepts associated with a word. Like

the sayings, "language evolves", Langacker (1970) explains that every language is the

product of change, and it will continue to change as long as it's spoken; all in all, words

can change meanings from their former initial definition.

Semantic changes deal with five different types of semantic changes: narrowing,

broadening, amelioration, pejoration, and semantic reclamation. These changes are

influenced by either extralinguistic (not involving language) or linguistics (involving

language).

Below are the explanations of the five types of semantic changes, as well as their

example:

1. Narrowing

Semantics narrowing is the process in which a word's meaning becomes less

generalised—in which a word becomes more precise—with time. Generally, this

process is driven by linguistic factors such as ellipses, which might take years to

occur. The term narrowing is also referred to as semantic specialisation or

semantic restriction.

Examples of narrowing:
  Hound: the word "hound" was initially meant to refer to any type of

dog, but over the years, this meaning narrowed, and today this word is

used to describe dogs used for hunting, i.e., beagles and bloodhounds. 

 Meat: the word "meat" traditionally meant "food", and over the years,

it has undergone semantic narrowing; thus, the word "meat" now is

used to describe one type of food, and that is animal flesh. 

2. Broadening

Broadening is the procedure whereby the meaning of words becomes more

generalised over time. In other words, the word now has a broader range of scope

than before. This process is sometimes also referred to as semantic

generalisation.

Semantics broadening is the exact opposite of semantic narrowing; where one

becomes wider in range, the other becomes more restrained and specific.

Nevertheless, they both have one similarity: their process occurs over several

years.

Example of broadening:

 Business: the word "business" initially means to refer to being busy;

however, throughout the years, the word "business" broadened and is

now referred to any type of work or job. 

3. Amelioration

Amelioration is the process by which a word gains a more favourable

connotation over time. It is also known as semantic amelioration or semantic

 elevation. Oftentimes, this process happens due to various extralinguistic factors,

such as cultural and worldview shifts.

Example of amelioration:

 Nice: the word "nice" in the 1300s meant that a person was ridiculous

or foolish; however, by the 1800s, through the process of

amelioration, this word began to mean kind and thoughtful hence it is

proven how amelioration is a process that can take centuries for it to

happen. 

 Sick: the word "sick" over the years has undergone the process of

amelioration; what was initially meant as "wicked" now has a

positive connotation, where this word is currently associated with the

word "cool". 

4. Pejoration

Pejoration is a term used to define the process by which a word that once had

a positive connotation then acquires a negative connotation; this sometimes is

also known as semantic deterioration. This type of semantic change mainly

occurs due to extralinguistic causes. This can include a word becoming taboo or

associated with a taboo within the culture.

Examples of pejoration:

 Silly: the word "silly" in Old and Middle English was used to indicate

that someone was happy or spiritually blessed. However, throughout

the centuries, this word is now used to indicate when someone is

acting foolishly.
  Attitude: the word "attitude" was first used to refer to someone's pose

or posture; after that, the meaning changed, and it referred to a

person's way of thinking. As the phrase became more widely used, it

became synonymous with being harsh or unkind. A sentence like 'he

has a nasty attitude' can be reduced to 'he has an attitude,' indicating

that the word has

taken on a negative connotation.

5. Semantic Reclamation

Semantic reclamation happens when a group of oppressed minorities reclaim

(or take back) a word that has been used to degrade them in the past. People who

reclaim these terms do so in a positive light, diminishing the word's power to

insult a certain minority group.

Semantic reclamation often is used as a political and controversial act, as

these words become special to a particular group. Women, ethnic minorities, and

the LGBTQIA communities have regained their words.

II. The Cause of Semantic Change

There are two types of causes of semantic change: extralinguistic cause and

linguistic cause.

1. Extralinguistic

Extralinguistic causes mainly are associated with social or historical causes of

semantic change. When the term extralinguistic is broken down, one can see that
it refers to 'extra' components that exist outside of the language. Andreas Blank, a

linguist, divides this characteristic into three categories:

a. Psychological Factors

Psychological factors are factors which it affects the way

people see a word and its meaning. When a word's origin is

unclear, it is then given a new meaning. The meaning of a word

can also become taboo or be used as a euphemism, such as

"pass away" when someone dies.

b. Sociocultural Factors

The sociocultural factor is the most common factor of

extralinguistic causes of semantic change. Changes in a

country's social, economic, or political standing can majorly

impact its semantics. An example of this word is seen in how

the meaning of the word "engine" evolved from describing

general devices used in war to defining a specific mechanical

machine following the Industrial Revolution. Thus, indicating

that the word has undergone a semantic change.

c. Cultural / Encyclopedic Factors

Cultural or encyclopedic factors refer to cultural reasons

why a word's meaning may change; this may be caused by

cultural changes that lead to a change in how the word is

categorised—causing semantics change. As an example, the

way the word "cool" originated in the context of jazz, but as

 jazz's popularity increased, the word became associated with

anything that's trendy.

2. Linguistic Causes

The factors that occur within the system of the language spoken are linguistic

causes of semantic change. Natural language changes take much longer than

changes caused by extralinguistic factors. This can be seen throughout history; for

example, it took decades for Old English to evolve into Middle English.

Linguistics factors includes:

a. Metonymy

Metonymy happens when an object's name is used to

replace an attribute or adjective. For example, when talking

about horse racing, the tracks are commonly referred to as

'turf.'

b. Metaphors

Metaphors can also influence how people see particular

words. The meaning of words can be expanded to illustrate a

link between two similar items.

c. Ellipsis

Ellipsis occurs when two words in a sentence are

continuously used together until they have the same meaning.

The word 'to starve', for example, originally meant 'to die,' but

it was widely employed in sentences concerning hunger. As a

result, the word came to denote "to die of hunger."

III. Conclusion

Semantic change refers to how the meaning of words changes over time, and it

deals with five types of semantic change: narrowing, broadening, amelioration,

pejoration, and semantic reclamation. Semantic change has two kinds of causes of

semantic change: extralinguistic cause and linguistic cause.

References

(Author), Thomas Heim. “Semantic Change.” GRIN, https://www.grin.com/document/48794.

Semantic Change and Meaning Shift Analysis on Film Making Terms - Core.
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/11721965.pdf.

“Semantic Change.” Studysmarter.co.uk,

https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/english/lexis-and-semantics/semantic-
change/.

Oklah, Saher. (2014). Semantic Change.